Open Your Eyes
by Cherie Dennis
Summary: Craig Manning... He seemed to be changing girlfriends more often than his underwear, and sometimes he forgot to take off the first pair. [CM slash. Set one year after What's it Feel Like to be a Ghost?]
1. Open Your Eyes

**Open Your Eyes**

Title: Open Your Eyes.

Author: Cherie Dennis.

Summary: Ellie Nash sent her buddy Craig Manning to rehab after dealing with the fall-out of his drug addiction. The therapy, along with the long days spent within the confines of his room, allowed the almost-famous musician to think about things.

And boy, did he think.

A year later, Craig returns to Degrassi to patch up old relationships. No one knows that he came back, nor do they know the large secret he's carrying with him.

Will someone be able to drag it out of him? Or will he be able to convince them – and himself – that it isn't true?

Rating: I'm going to go with T, but it may change.

Pairings: Marco/Craig. Other couples will be seen, like Marco/Dylan and such. Not sure how many characters I will pull in, but I'll try to get a lot of them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or its characters. Please know that this is my first shot at a Degrassi fanfic, and I'm a little nervous about it. It was just going to be a lengthy oneshot, but I changed my mind.

Be aware that this story does contain slash, and will probably end up having some graphic storylines. As I said, rating may change.

**Prologue:**

Everyone makes mistakes, right? I can't think of a single person who hasn't made one, but mine seem to be amplified. I just can't stop making them. It's like everywhere I turn – BAM! – there's another bump in the road that I created.

I suppose that's why I came back to Degrassi instead of going back to Joey's. I needed to patch up some things and make things right with those I hurt before. But how am I supposed to do that while I'm sitting here, dealing with one of the biggest problems in the world?

I know that I can't tell anyone, but God how I wish I could. Maybe, if I ignore it, it will go away.

Of course, that didn't seem to help Marco out…

_That's probably one of the worst prologues in the history of writing, but hopefully you guys understand what the story's going to be about. If not, you'll just have to read and see! And please, please, please give me feedback! Anything at all! From saying "Good job!" to telling me what I should improve on. Anything! And, like my other stories, it's going to be third-person, not first._

_Reviews?_


	2. Step into Darkness

Craig Manning. The name seemed synonymous with the term "Cheater." He seemed to be changing girlfriends more often than his underwear, and sometimes he forgot to take off the first pair. But he was a gorgeous musician, so those who surrendered their hearts to him found it awfully hard to not forgive him. All he had to do was whip out his guitar; strum a few strings, let some pretty lyrics fall from his pouty lips and any female his age was like putty in his hands.

The first one to be burned by his wandering hands was Ashley Kerwin; a beautiful girl who seemed to understand him fully, and was willing to give over everything to him. With her bright green eyes and her dark hair, she was a little bombshell just waiting for the right person to set her off. Craig was happy to have her in his life, and loved the relationship they had together.

Then came Manny Santos. The two had dated once before – a disastrous date that both wanted to block from their memories. She seemed to become obsessed with Craig, and he weaseled his way out of the relationship by claiming she reminded him of his little half-sister. A few years later, the sister-like image faded once Manny became a complete sex goddess. She seduced him with her lovely petite body; her hips swayed with the thriving bodies around them at the rave, and he found himself lost in her eyes.

Without a second thought about his relationship with Ashley, Craig found himself in Manny's best friend's bed. The two didn't make it too far before Emma Nelson stormed in, kicking Craig's butt out of there while calling Manny everything but a sweetheart. The words still burned his ears.

He found himself fighting between two wants; being understood and loved or being worshipped and sexually fulfilled. The latter of the two won, but Craig still didn't break things off with Ashley. Manny ended up stepping in, accidentally bruising a few hearts in the wake of her declaration of their new-found love.

With a slap in front of a packed auditorium, then a bracelet dropped at his feet, Craig found himself womanless.

Through months of trials, no women and attention focused on his band, Craig worked his way into Ashley's heart again. This time, he didn't let anything come between them. He proposed to her, only to have her say it wasn't the right time. This was when the broken musician found out how messed up he really was; bi-polar disorder seemed to mock him from the doctor's chart.

This is how he got close to Ellie Nash. This little red-head was an ex-cutter, and the two became close in group therapy. With her dark attitude and her sarcastic sense of humor, Craig found a wonderful friend. But Ellie wanted more.

Unaware of his friend's wants, Craig found himself with Manny once again, this time in an actual relationship. She made her way into his band as well, and Ellie was soon pushed out of the picture. Then Craig was made an offer he couldn't refuse, and left town without his band to pursue a dream he'd had for all his life.

He returned with a bad habit, and long line of girls touched by his calloused hands. Manny knew none of it and welcomed him home with open arms, only to stumble upon his Cocaine stash. She wanted to join his club, and they found themselves arguing the day after about the drug.

When faced with the choice of her or the powder, Craig was quick to choose the drug. Manny ended the relationship and stormed out, leaving Ellie to pick up the pieces.

After being baited into the trap of Craig Manning, Ellie called his step-father and told him what was happening. Soon, the musician found himself facing rehab, this time without the dark-witted redhead beside him to help him through his therapy.

A long year passed, and Craig found himself on a plane back to Degrassi. With his iPod blaring in his ears, he eyes scanned the small grounds through the window. He was never one to actually try to figure things out, but the idea of him going through so many girls just couldn't stay away from his thoughts.

Through therapy and detox, Craig found out more about himself than he was comfortable with. With each and every girl he looked at, touched or kissed, he felt nothing. There was, of course, the reaction his body had to the attention they gave, but he felt no connection.

His thoughts kept falling back to that stairwell, the music loudly playing in the room just a few steps up. He could practically feel Marco brush against him now as the memory played in his mind.

His friend, one that he cared deeply about, was struggling with his relationship. Marco Del Rossi was a senior in high school while his boyfriend, Dylan Michalchuk, was a freshman in college. Experimentation with alcohol and boys caused a large strain on their relationship, which was why when Dylan approached Marco and Craig on the stairwell, the musician found himself locked into a kiss with one of his best guy friends.

Craig couldn't figure out why this memory kept returning, taunting him with the feelings that came with that one, confused kiss. Everything he ever wanted to feel with a woman was there; lust, love, passion… He could see fireworks; hear the bells sounding in the distance.

That fact scared him more than anything else. Craig Manning wasn't gay, and there was no way he could admit these feelings to anyone else. He had to keep trying with girls, keep trying to find that same connection with someone of the **opposite** gender.

Craig caught sight of a red light above his head, his thoughts disappearing. He turned off his iPod and pulled out the ear buds, wrapping the white cord around the little machine. The plane came to a bumpy landing, and soon the passengers were all lined up in the middle aisle, ready to be on land again.

As Craig made his way into the airport, backpack slung over his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel the wave of loneliness that washed over him. He hadn't told anyone that he was coming back, so he shouldn't have been surprised that there was no one waiting there for him.

But the idea that someone could have been was what stung him. For all he knew, no one in this town wanted anything to do with him anymore. He had to try, though, to patch up the friendships he left behind.

And though he didn't know it now, some things in Degrassi had changed drastically.


End file.
